


Separate Ways

by Finn565



Series: In an Endless Universe I Will Always Find You [6]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Dib has been in space for like years now huh, Fluff, I skip over the spicy bit in the middle, M/M, Tall Zim, Taller dib tho, Tenderness, but it gets a little spicy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:48:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29307543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finn565/pseuds/Finn565
Summary: “I will be in contact with you. You will answer promptly, or Zim will come to your location immediately. Do you understand?” The Irken gives him a commanding look but it just makes him laugh lightly. Zim is fiddling with Dib’s collar (straightening it around his neck where it’s rumpled a bit) like he’s trying to distract himself. He is suddenly reminded of world war 2 wives seeing their husbands off at the docks.“Yes, of course.” He leans in and steals one final kiss before he pulls away. He watches as the Irken scoops GIR up and carries him back onto their cruiser like a toddler. He waves the entire time he watches the ship take off and tries to keep a rein on his emotions. It will not be the last time he will see his Irken
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim), ZaDr - Relationship
Series: In an Endless Universe I Will Always Find You [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129628
Comments: 3
Kudos: 55





	Separate Ways

**Author's Note:**

> While writing this I realized that Zim’s love language is gift giving. 
> 
> This is a lot of info dumping for the most part. Like a "Here's what they are doing right now!" sort of thing. I really love some of the original characters I have in this even though they are not in it for long. The irken OC is one I made when I was like ten and I made her a lesbian now and she's dope. I might bring her in later. 
> 
> Anyways, enough rambling!

The words “The ship can’t wait any longer,” mock Dib from his seat at his desk. He knows what the meaning is, of course. He knows what he must do. He would be stupid not to take the job. He could be rich, and he’s always wanted to explore space. Sure he can do that with Zim, but this would be a job. This is all for fun, and that would pay him.

He never thought he would be torn over a decision like this one. He hears the Irken approach him, hands sliding over his shoulders. The clawed hands move down and the Irken wraps his arms around his neck. He pats his partner's arm but doesn’t move. Still staring at the words, which Zim can no doubt see. 

“You look stupid when you’re upset.” 

He knows it’s an attempt to make him feel better, and it works. He huffs out a small laugh and looks at where the alien is resting his chin on his shoulder. When he makes eye contact he suddenly feels like crying and takes a deep breath to keep it in. He looks away. 

Zim chuckles and moves around him, dumping himself in his lap. Dib only grunts slightly. “Dib,” a clawed hand cups his cheek, “You must take this opportunity.” 

He furrows his brow and looks up, “last time you said-“

“That was years ago, dib-thing. Zim has plans he wishes to work on as well. You should accept the ship from your parental figure.” 

“Don’t want me around anymore?” He jests, putting his arm around the alien. 

“No, you stink up the place, and you are clumsy.” The Irken leans forward to kiss his cheek and wraps his arms around Dib. “I will miss you.” 

Dib slams his eyes shut to try and stop the burn of tears he feels, he bites his lip and hugs the Irken to him. “I’ll miss you too, bug boy.” He feels a tear fall down his cheek but pretends it’s not happening. 

It’s impossible to ignore when the tear lands on Zim’s neck and sizzles slightly. Too much salt and chemicals. Thankfully the Irken doesn’t make fun of him. 

They sit there for a long time, but when they do pull back Dib has mostly composed himself, “well.” 

“I’ll ready us to go home.” The Irken pats his cheek and then gets up. He smiles a little, noting the fact that the Irken had called earth his home. 

  
  


***

“My son!” His father claps him on the shoulder, “you have grown taller since I last saw you! You are starting to look like me!” 

Dib frowns a little at that, he doesn’t need it rubbed in that he’s a clone, “yeah well.”

“The ship is just this way. Ah, your foreign friend is here as well. It’s been a while!” 

Zim is not even wearing his disguise, it’s just them in this room. Which makes the fact that his dad still can’t tell, or doesn’t care, that Zim is an alien even worse. 

“Yes, it has been a while, father of Dib.” 

He clears his throat, “you go on ahead dad, I’ll meet you up there in a bit.” 

The professor nods and marches on without him. He turns back to Zim who, despite being the one to encourage him, looks mildly upset. Arms crossed and antenna flat against his head. Dib would even say he looks like he is pouting. 

“Hey.” He smiles lightly and turns so he’s fully facing the Irken. “We’ll see eachother soon.” 

“Zim will see to it that it’s not long.” 

He smiles and folds the Irken into his arms. GIR climbs his leg and joins their embrace. 

“I’ll miss you, Mary.” 

“Still not my name, but for some reason I’ll miss you too, GIR.” He smiles at the sir unit. The robot gives him a little kiss on the cheek and starts to sniffle when he slides back down his leg. 

“I will be in contact with you. You will answer promptly, or Zim will come to your location immediately. Do you understand?” The Irken gives him a commanding look but it just makes him laugh lightly. Zim is fiddling with Dib’s collar (straightening it around his neck where it’s rumpled a bit) like he’s trying to distract himself. He is suddenly reminded of world war 2 wives seeing their husbands off at the docks. 

“Yes, of course.” He leans in and steals one final kiss before he pulls away. He watches as the Irken scoops GIR up and carries him back onto their cruiser like a toddler. He waves the entire time he watches the ship take off and tries to keep a rein on his emotions. It will not be the last time he will see his Irken. 

***

Dib is turning 30 today. He’s not celebrating, simply sitting alone and typing another report on his computer in his private room. The ship his father gave him, The Interstellar, is smaller than he needs. He’s requesting a larger ship with a larger crew for deeper space. He’d like to find something unknown. Most planets he reports on are already discovered by other species or inhabited.

His right arm tweeks slightly, causing a phantom pain to light up his spine. He hisses in pain a bit and turns the hand over slowly. Back and forth to try and relieve the feeling. It slowly ebbs away. It’s been acting up recently, and could use some maintenance. Since it’s not man made he hasn’t found anyone right for the job. 

His desk chimes and he doesn’t look as he presses the comms button, “what is it?” He's not exactly busy, but he doesn’t really want to be disturbed either. 

“Special transmission for you, and an approaching ship is asking to board.” 

He contemplates that and then sighs, “send me the transmission.” 

“Already done, sir. And happy birthday, Captain.” 

“Thank you, Cliff.” 

The transmission pops up on his screen and he breaks into a smile when he sees the Irken symbols. It reads, “Dib-thing, today is your 30th hatching is it not? I have a surprise for you. Let me aboard. Zim.” 

He presses the comm, “let the ship aboard, and any personnel that come off the ship are welcome guests.” 

“Yes, sir.” Cliff says. He gets up and grabs his coat, pulling it on as he leaves his room and makes his way to the shuttle bay. Two Vortians are climbing off a gray ship. 

He gives them a nod as greetings and recognizes that they must be Dash, and Evera. Two vortian resistance leaders Zim is working with. Though why the Irken was working with them was unclear to Dib. Zim said he would explain when he saw him next. 

“Welcome aboard. I have extra rooms on the second level for guests and the dining hall is free for you to use.” 

The Vortians nod back to him and keep moving, chatting to each other in a language he can’t understand very well. 

“Captain, Dib.” 

Dib whirls his head around and grins, ear to ear, “Zim.” 

The Irken sneers at him hands on his hips. He’s gotten slightly taller, but not by much. The spikes on his arms and legs seem to be a bit longer as well, and his middle looks thinner. He’s not wearing his usual Irken uniform, and is instead dressed in something grey, not unlike what the Vorians had on. 

He scoops Zim up into his arms, enough to lift the smaller creature off the floor. He spins them around, and the Irken lets out a surprised noise. Holding onto him tight. “Zim commands you to stop spinning!” 

He puts the Irken back down but doesn’t let him go, “I haven’t seen you in 6 months and this is the greeting I get. So bossy,” he grins and leans in to kiss Zim’s cheek. The Irken turns his head at the last moment and kisses him softly. “Happy birthday to me, indeed. This is a pretty good surprise.” 

“This is not your present, Dib. Show me to your room.” 

“Gladly,” he smiles, and leads them through the hallways to his private cabin. Several crew members give the Irken a bewildered look. He chuckles lightly at the way Zim preens under the attention. Sneering at any one who passes them. 

He opens the door and lets the Irken into his room. “Where’s GIR?” He takes his jacket back off and hangs it over his chair. 

“Asleep on the ship, I’m sure he will wake later and come find me. But till then it is just us.” 

It’s probably Dib’s over active imagination, but he thinks it sounds slightly suggestive. “Just us huh?” He smiles and pulls the Irken closer to himself. 

“Humans,” the alien snickers and shakes his head, “present first.” 

“I don’t know that seems like a pretty good present.” 

“Hush.” 

His heart swells, “I missed you,” he says softly. 

“Zim missed you as well, but I have something to give you.” 

“Yes, what is it?” He smiles eagerly and watches the Irken pull a ring out of his new uniform. It’s thin, with a black rim. The band looks like a black opal. It’s colors shifting and changing like a nebula. It’s beautiful, he thinks. The Irken doesn’t give it to him yet, but holds it up so he can see it properly. 

“This was harvested from your planet a long time ago. I had hoped it could be used for destructive properties but nothing ever came of it. It crashed on your planet but it’s most definitely from space.” The Irken looks away and seems embarrassed, “I thought it would fit the circumstance. We have been together for some time.”

Dib stares at it for a moment and wonders why the ring hasn’t been handed to him yet. Why would Zim even give him a ring? Made out of something both from his home and from space. Its unusually sentimental for an Irken. Especially one that claims to have nothing to do with such things. Staring at the ring, it suddenly clicks in his head. 

“Are you- are you asking me to marry you right now?” 

The irken’s antenna’s flatten back, “I am glad you have caught on.” 

He grins, “Irkens don’t get married.” He teases and holds out his left hand. 

“No, but I thought you would find it weirdly touching. You’re species has so many stupid customs. I know they are all important to you.” Zim slides it onto the correct finger and everything. 

“You researched this.” He says in awe, still teasing. The Irken hisses and holds out an identical one to him. It’s shaped like Zim's claw. 

He barks out a laugh and takes it, “Oh my god, you really went all out.” 

“I rescind my preposition, give Zim the ring back.” The Irken hisses at him, showing off all his sharp teeth. 

“Nope, it’s too late.” He grabs the irkens left claw and slides the ring on, “now you’re stuck with me for life.”

“Or are you stuck with me?” Zim grins back, but it falters a little, “You like it then?” There’s a hint of nerves in Zim’s voice. 

“Like it? I love it, thank you.” He kisses the irken’s cheek. “Very thoughtful. So what are you doing with the resisty?” 

“Sit, Zim will tell you the story.”

***

Zim had been on a routine pick up of materials for his ship when a pair of Irkens had jumped him. They weren’t as tall as he is now but they had numbers on him. They beat him till his Pak could no longer regenerate, needing a moment's rest. They didn’t kill him though. 

“You are to be taken back to the tallest. For termination.” One of them had spit down at him. He had tried to struggle but was too weak to fight back. 

They started to drag him away but were shot before they could. The shooter must have come from the rooftops. Before his Pak reset his vitals he caught a pair of sharp boots marching towards him. 

When he restarted he wasn’t some place he recognized but it seemed to be a house. It was unusually cozy. He fully intended to make a hasty leave but as he left the room he was greeted by another Irken. 

She, according to her pointed eyes and curled antenna, was tall. Just as tall as him he supposed. She wore a light grey uniform common to the resisty and had lavender purple eyes. 

“Zim. My name is Dragar. I think you and I need to speak.” She had a commanding voice and the demeanor of a leader. 

He had been reluctant but followed her to a small dining space. A Vortian was preparing what looked and smelled like some kind of tea. He sat down with the other Irken and didn’t drink the cup offered to him. 

“Look, you’ve been marked for termination by the tallest.” 

He scowled at Dragar, “Yes, Zim figured that out.” 

“They will, most likely, not stop at anything to kill you. You are passing your prime, just as I did, less easy to manipulate. Not that it was easy for them to manipulate you before. You can hide, but they will eventually find out how to get to you. They know your pension for violence and cannot have that turned against them. Fortunately for you, I found you first. Now you have a choice. You can go back to being on the run, or you can join my cause.” 

“I will take going back to my life,” he had begun to stand up when she sneered at them.

“Will you not consider it first? Your life is not the only one in jeopardy.” 

He narrows his eyes and sits back down, “what do you mean?”

“I mean think for a moment, Zim. Your companion, Dib Membrane.” 

His eyes widened slightly, “How do you know about that?”

“We have kept tabs on you for a while now,” she takes the tea and thanks the vortian. “You and I are alike in some ways. My Pak has malfunctioned as well. I took a non-Irken mate as well.” She smiles at the vortian who smiles back, softly. “The empire made attempts to use her as a bait against me. Luckily we are strong and have taken great care to hide ourselves. Your mate, the human. He is becoming something of a celebrity. He has traveled around a good portion of known space. Has made some friends, and some enemies.”

Realization slowly took him and he grit his teeth together, “The Empire would not know of our arrangement.” 

“Who's to say they don’t? I want to help you, Zim. I was like you once. But I can provide you a safety net. We can even protect the human. If anything, don’t you want to get some revenge on them. They called for your life.”

He considers it for a moment, “what’s the resisties plans?” 

“I can’t share that with you till you agree to join.” She shrugs at him, taking a sip. 

He narrows his eyes and thinks about it, “fine, if it will help me get revenge and protect Dib, I will join.” 

“Our plan is to slowly take back the planets the empire has taken.” 

Zim barks a laugh, sneering, “Good luck.” 

“We have already liberated several Irken occupied planets, actually. The head of the resisty is not to be trifled with. The more planets we liberate the bigger our numbers are. Your input is actually desired by my higher ups. We’d like to turn your destructive ways against the tallest. Being an Irken helps us gain more intel as well.” 

“Then I shall help you in your efforts.” 

Dragar grins and holds her hand out to him. He takes it. “Excellent. We will have you assigned to a project right away.” She let’s go of his hand and smiles at the Vortian in the room. 

  
  


***

“You’ve been busy then, haven’t you?” Dib smiles as he listens. He’s especially touched by Zim’s need to protect him from the Irken Empire. 

“Yes, I would have visited sooner. But Zim has been able to liberate two planets in a short amount of time. Irken ships are quite easy to destroy when you know the in’s and out’s of them.” 

“This is going to sound weird, but I’m proud of you” he smiles lightly.

Zim preens at the praise, making a rapid clicking noise, “yes, I have been doing well.” 

Dib rolls his eyes slightly, “ _ you are just as arrogant as ever.”  _

Zim grabs his face with both hands and grins, “ _ you are fluent! No errors at all!”  _ The action knocks them back, with Zim situated half-way on top of him. 

Dib smiles, able to understand Irken fully. He can even write in it too now. Though it takes him twice as long. “ _ I have been practicing for our next meeting.”  _ The hisses and clicks still feel unnatural to his tongue. 

“ _ Does anyone else on this ship speak Irken?”  _

_ “No, just me and you. And probably the Vortians you brought.”  _

Zim smiles, one of the rare soft ones, his antenna pitched forward towards Dib’s face. The alien closes his eyes and presses their foreheads together. He brings his own hands up to rest on the Irken’s back, noting that the metal band is becoming body temperature, and closes his eyes. Basking in a tender moment between them. 

“I love you.” The Irken says quietly and his own eyes fly open. He must tense slightly because Zim pulls away. Smile no longer present. 

“I’m sorry. You just startled me. I..” he takes a deep breath, trying to gather all his confused thoughts, “I thought Irkens couldn’t feel love?” 

“Zim can only guess, but I’ve had the correct symptoms.” 

Dib laughs, and squeezes the Irken closer to himself, “It’s not a disease!” 

“Well, no matter, I have my suspicions that what I feel is love.” 

“Okay, what are your suspicions.” He has no doubt in his mind that he must look like the women on the old TV show they saw years ago. Gently rubbing an antenna in a soothing matter, the other hand he keeps planted just below Zim’s Pak.

The Irken makes the same clicking-purring noise he has before, blushing a little, “You make me weak. I feel strongly for you. Miss you when we are not together. I enjoy our time together more than anyone else and I feel incredibly possessive over you. I think of you often when I’m alone. It is almost annoying how much it-“ the alien stops his rambling 

He inches his fingers up to the Pak and brushes his fingers against it, “Go on.” He smiles. 

“How much it aches.” Dib can’t help but smile, he feels slight tears prick at his eyes, “Human’s cry far too often.” The alien sneers down at him.

“I’m not crying, asshole,” he tries to cover, looking away. 

“You are so emotionally needy,” the Irken purrs and caresses his thumb along Dib’s cheek. 

“That was just touching, in a weird way,” 

“I love you, Dib-thing,” Zim moves closer to him, sharp teeth glinting in the dim light. 

“I love you, too,” he replies happily, “You’ve given me a lot of present’s today, which is weirdly generous of you.”

“Yes, you are very welcome, I know, Zim is great.” The Irken practically glows in the light of his own arrogance and he rolls his eyes again.

“Well, I can get you anything you want. I don’t know if there’s anything you like, but we could order some sweets and I know it doesn’t compare to a proposal but-” 

“That will not be necessary,” Zim interrupts him, “I know what I would like.” The Irken smooths a hand up his chest and he flushes red.

“Well that is definitely something I can get you.” 

***

They’re laying in bed together, dozing off (Or at the very least Dib is dozing off), when the little robot manages to find them. GIR waddles in, and jumps up onto the bed. Zim is running his hands through Dib’s hair, careful not to cut any pieces off with his claws. He rests his head against the alien’s smaller chest. He grunts in surprise when the robot flops down on his back and hugs him. 

“Mary!” It exclaims and he chuckles, reaching back to pat the Sir unit on the head.

“Hey, GIR.” He says sleepily. 

“Can I nap too!?”

“You just woke up, GIR.” Zim narrows his eyes at his companion.

“Please?!” The robot starts to huff and puff despite not needing oxygen and the Irken huffs right back.

“Yes you can nap, as well.”

GIR lets out a happy squeal and immediately falls against Dib’s back and seems to pass out. He adjusts slightly for the new weight on his back. “You want to get some food now or?” He doesn’t really want the moment to end. His whole body feels like it's heavy with exhaustion now and the way the Irken is scratching his head feels so nice. It’s been a long time since they’ve just sat and touched each other. And while their previous activity was amazing, this is raw and intimate in another way.

“You seem content.”

He grunts, “I shouldn’t fall asleep, won’t be able to later.” At that moment his right arm tweaks and he hisses in pain. Pulling it out from where it's under the Irken. He turns the wrist over a couple times.

“Is it bothering you?”

“I think it needs some maintenance.”

The irken makes a humming noise and then pushes him to sit up. The poor Sir unit on his back just flops over onto the bed and resumes sleeping. “I can do this for you, order something sweet for me.”

He gets up, pulling his pants back on and throwing a shirt on, he presses the comms button on his desk and asks for some kind of dessert to be brought to his room. When he turns around the Irken is picking up a discarded shirt of his and putting it on and he feels his heart soar. 

“Sit and I’ll take a look at it.” Zim nods to the spot next to him and he sits down.

As the Irken works he thinks about them. He wishes they could be together all the time, misses the days when they shared a small ship together. He enjoys his work but it keeps them on separate ends of known space. He supposes they will always manage to find each other. Make time for one another. 

He just wishes he could make that time longer.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be the end but I think I might actually be stringing a coherent plot together??? We'll see. Regardless I have a few more of these up my sleeve. 
> 
> I might bring Dragar back, cus my brain went "vortian and irken lesbians" and I haven't stopped thinking about them since. That being said I have no idea what to name the Vortian, if anyone has any ideas let me know.


End file.
